Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship has become a popular career path in developed and developing countries, a phenomenon that has contributed to the intense interest in the subject shown by researchers and policymakers around the world. Several factors have come into play, including advances in technology that allowed smaller firms to take advantage of economies of scale that previously were only available to larger firms; the ability of smaller firms, because of their size, to be more flexible and responsive to market changes; implementation of government policies calculated to encourage entrepreneurial activities and behavior; support from governments and other economic units that established procurement programs to assist small businesses; high unemployment rates in recent decades due to corporate restructuring and downsizing, which have caused some workers to choose an entrepreneurial path rather than retrain for placement in an unsteady job market as a means for dealing with their midlife crisis; and changes in typical career patterns away from expectations of long-term employment with large firms in a single occupation toward a flexible labor force, a phenomenon that has led to increased interest in entrepreneurship among those with post-secondary education and an established career record build over several decades in the workplace.

This book provides an introduction to a number of important topics relevant to the study and understanding of entrepreneurship and the process of creating, or giving birth to, a new business. The chapters cover definitions and types of entrepreneurship; the relationships among entrepreneurship, innovation and development; research on entrepreneurship, comparative research into entrepreneurship in multiple countries and research into cross- border entrepreneurship (i.e., international activity of small- and medium-sized enterprises and new ventures); factors influencing entrepreneurial activities; motivational traits of prospective entrepreneurs; the influence of societal culture on entrepreneurial activities and attitudes regarding entrepreneurship as a career path; the influence that the institutional environment has on entrepreneurship; and the role of entrepreneurs in launching new businesses. This book is an excellent introductory source of information on entrepreneurship research for use by academics and other professionals in their courses and for entrepreneurs looking to fit their dreams and aspirations in the broader context of entrepreneurship.